The pleasure palace of Marrakech

Marrakech doesn’t lack high-end hotels but the latest to open, Palais Namaskar in the Palmeraie, is the last word in luxury with its graceful scented gardens and discreet villas

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Jonathan Gregson

30 May 2012

As I padded along the stone causeway between two shimmering pools of water that reflected the cloudless desert sky, a blind arcade of Moorish arches to one side, a brace of gold-domed palaces on the other, I had to pinch myself to make sure I had not entirely lost touch with reality.

But then Palais Namaskar, a luxurious retreat in Marrakech’s Palmeraie, appears to have been designed specifically to make its guests feel that they have entered another world.

Its French-Algerian architect, Immad Rahmouni, may have taken inspiration from the old Moroccan Sultans’ El Badii palace on the edge of Marrakech’s Medina or, more likely, in its Andalusian counterpart, the Alhambra.

But Palais Namaskar’s lush greenery and extravagant water features — especially so here on the desert’s edge — reminded me rather of the pleasure gardens created by the Mughal Emperors of India, screened off from the outside world by an insurmountable wall. Or of the poet Coleridge’s opiate-induced vision of Xanadu, wherein the Mughal’s distant ancestor Kublai Khan did “a stately pleasure dome decree”.

No expense has been spared in creating this thoroughly modern version of Xanadu by its thoroughly 21st-century owner, Frenchman Philippe Soulier, who in just 20 years has built up a shipping logistics empire and is now the largest provider of such services in Nigeria.

Lining my path are entire clumps of date palms and ancient olive trees that have been uprooted and then strategically replanted so as to add to one’s sense of serenity.

An adept of feng shui, Soulier insisted that everything — from the way rooms and furnishings are designed to the spa treatments on offer — abides by its principles. The balance of earth, water and air are calculated to promote tranquillity, as is the meticulous standard of service (Palais Namaskar is managed by Oetker Collection whose other hotels include Le Bristol in Paris and Cap-Eden Roc near Antibes).

But what I found most arresting was the view across the Palmeraie to the snow-clad Atlas Mountains. Should one wish to leave this oasis of luxury, day excursions to their flower-studded valleys or further out into the desert can be arranged.

Or, in my case, a balloon ride at dawn which — quite apart from the surreal sense of silent weightlessness — allowed one to peer down into the courtyards and gardens of village houses, whereas at ground level all of this is screened off by blank walls.

Our pilot, Maurice Otin, mentioned light-heartedly that one farm-owner objected to balloons over-flying his property and had threatened to shoot down any that did so in future. “Let us hope that the winds do not carry us that way,” he added.

They didn’t and, after a perfect landing, we breakfasted in a village nearby on Berber bread, pancakes with honey and mint tea. Maurice explained how the villagers took it in turn to play host, so that money from tourism was shared out equally between them, adding that the lady-of-the-house was among the poorest inhabitants, having neither husband nor children to support her. I noticed that the only decorations in the room were some plastic flowers and a poster of the holy mosque in Mecca.

“We are just 25 kilometres from the city,” he said. “But the gap is that of a thousand years. Especially nowadays, since over the past decade Marrakech has been transformed beyond recognition.”

Certainly, I was enjoying a very different experience from when I first arrived as a long-haired student in the 1970s. Back then I was happy enough to find a cheap hotel in the Medina that was free of bedbugs, a base from which I could roam the alleyways and souks or, come evening, join the crowds of Berber tribesmen around the professional story-tellers and snake-charmers in the Jamaa El Fna.

Since then I’ve been back nine times, moving gradually up through more comfortable hotels and some gem-like riyads to my current state of splendour. During that time the range and quality of accommodation has improved immeasurably, with dozens of five star hotels and more than 800 riyads to choose from.

This was my first stay out in the Palmeraie and, although it is but a short ride into the Medina, Palais Namaskar is probably not best suited to first-time visitors or those who want to stay close to the city’s pulse. But for those who have already experienced Marrakech and fancy being seriously pampered, this newly opened retreat allows you to dip your toe into the city’s exoticism while soothing any tensions.

So I was happy to return from a shopping expedition to the souk for a dip in my private pool, followed by a light lunch of Moroccan fusion delicacies (the chef trained under Alain Ducasse), with the prospect of a spa treatment later in the afternoon.

I shied away from the “sport massage” after discovering it would be delivered by the national kung fu champion, who also happens to head up Palais Namaskar’s fully equipped fitness centre. Instead I opted for a deeply relaxing ila Kundalini massage.

I could have chosen between the Palmeraie’s six golf courses or ridden a Berber horse at the nearby equestrian centre. But I found it hard to tear myself away from the scented gardens and pools of my desert retreat.

Details:

British Airways flies from Gatwick to Marrakech three times a week, returns from £161, ba.com

Suites at Palais Namaskar from €390 B&B, palaisnamaskar.com

Balloon flights are run by Ciel d’Afrique, £76pp, cieldafrique.com

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The pleasure palace of Marrakech

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